The Acacia Pied Barbet is a fairly common resident and almost endemic to Southern Africa. They are usually seen singly or in pairs.
Appearance: It is similar in appearance to the Red-fronted Tinkerbird. However, the latter has a narrower eye-stripe and no throat bib.White underparts with black, yellow and white chequered wings. The head features wide white eye-stripes with yellow patches above the eyes, a black crown and a red fore crown. Juvenile birds lack the red fore crown.
Size: Acacia Pied Barbets are medium-sized birds with a length of 17cm, and weigh between 23 and 45g
Habitat: Predominantly semi-arid savannah
Feeding Habits: Acacia Pied Barbet are known to eat insects but mainly eat fruit and nectar from aloes.
Call: The bird emits a trumpet-like nasal-sounding ‘pehp, pehp, pehp’ and also a soft hoop…hoop…hoop call.
Breeding: Nests are most often excavated from tree stumps. Occasionally they may take over an abandoned woodpecker hole or swallow nest. Usually 2 to 4 eggs are laid at a time and both sexes incubate the eggs.
The Lesser Honeyguide and sometimes the Greater Honeyguide, are known to parasitize the Acacia Pied Barbet.
